Embodiments of the inventive concept relate to semiconductor devices and related methods of fabrication.
Semiconductor devices perform significant functions in a wide variety of technical applications, ranging from electronic equipment to cars and/or ships. Field effect transistors (hereinafter, transistors) are an important feature of many of these semiconductor devices.
A transistor typically comprises a source and a drain separated from each other on a semiconductor substrate, and a gate electrode covering a top of a channel region between the source and the drain. The source and the drain are formed by implanting dopant ions into the semiconductor substrate and the gate electrode is insulated from the channel region by a gate oxide layer interposed between the semiconductor substrate and the gate electrode. This type of transistor is extensively used as a switching device and/or a logic component of a semiconductor device.
As semiconductor technologies continue to evolve, there is a continuing need develop techniques for maintaining the reliability of transistors. Consequently, researchers continue to devote resources to developing such techniques.